Now and Then [PG]

Roberta, Chrissy, Teeny, and Samantha were the best of friends when they were younger and, one whirlwind summer, they made a pact that they would be there for each other whenever they were needed. Now, many years later, Chrissy is having a baby and Roberta, Samantha, and Teeny are making their way back to their hometown to be true to that pact. Whilst there together, they remember that whirlwind summer that changed so many things. 

This is another forever-young childhood classic that I missed out on when I was a child. Doing these family movies for the first time when you’re an adult sort of ruins the enjoyment somewhat but in the case of Now and Then this was not the case at all. This film is absolutely gorgeous! I may not have loved it when I was a child, but I will love it now and it’s every bit as nostalgic and déjà vu-feeling as The Goonies or Stand By Me. It’s this beautiful and mature story that is just brought to life by these young actresses and it’s just fabulous! 

Roberta, Chrissy, Teeny, and Samantha were the best of friends when they were younger and, one whirlwind summer, they made a pact that they would be there for each other whenever they were needed. Now, many years later, Chrissy is having a baby and Roberta, Samantha, and Teeny are making their way back to their hometown to be true to that pact. Whilst there together, they remember that whirlwind summer that changed so many things. 

Reminiscing films are always nice to watch. I don’t know, there is just something imminently appealing about them. Now and Then chronicles a most memorable summer of four girls just on the cusp of womanhood. Each of the girls who play the younger roles delivered dazzling performances, each one beautifully conveying and reacting to the drama that’s happening in their lives. You’ve got Roberta (Christina Ricci), a tomboy whose mother died when she was young. There’s Chrissy (Ashleigh Aston Moore), whose conservative mother inadvertently smother’s her development. We have Teeny (Thora Birch) whose parents are never around, and finally there’s Samantha (Gaby Hoffman) whose parents are the first to get a divorce in the small town of Shelby. Each of these young girls delivered remarkable performances easily as strong and mature as their adult counterparts. The younglings were the stars of the show and ­that’s what makes these sorts of films so wonderful. 

I have to say also too that the soundtrack is pretty damned cool featuring memorable tracks from Stevie Wonder, The Archies, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, The Supremes, and the Jackson 5. 

Starring Christina Ricci, Rosie O’Donnell, Thora Birch, Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffman, Demi Moore, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Rita Wilson, Walter Sparrow, Bonnie Hunt, Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, and Cloris Leachman, Now and Then is a wonderful coming-of-age family movie that’s filled with friendship, drama, suspense, comedy, and even romance. I absolutely adored this film!